Opening Segment
What I Liked:
Sting starts the show to call out the Aces and Eights, but Austin Aries comes out. He talks about being a numbers game and says that they are trying to make a statement. I thought it was a good idea to have those two come out, arguably the most popular guys in the company. Kurt Angle makes his way out to the ring as well. Angle basically says the same thing to Aces and Eights, and then we get Bobby Roode. Roode stays in his heel persona and says he knows who is behind the attacks. He says its James Storm, because of his jealously and ego. I thought this was smart because you need to start pointing fingers at different people. Storm comes out and attacks Roode, which basically clears his name. The angle here is the biggest in the company, so it is only fitting to have all of the guys in the ring. Storm and Roode brawl back and forth and I really enjoyed the realistic personal feud between the two. The history is there, so capitalize on it.
What I Disliked:
I spoke before how I did not like Aces and Eights attacking the main guys first, and I still agree with it. You can attack Sting and Hogan, but is it necessary to go after Aries and Angle. There is no way up, is there? I hope they continue to attack stars, but I still feel they went to the top too soon here. The beginning segment was good though, and it interested me to a point where I was excited to see what Aces and Eights do next.
Grade: B
Gail Kim and Madison Rayne def. Mickie James and Tara
What I Liked:
A solid tag team match between some of the better Knockouts in the company. We have 3 really good veterans who know how to work, mixed in with Rayne who is certainly getting better each day. Kim looked a lot more physical tonight, using some more brawling techniques. She is skinny and athletic, but it was nice to see her add some physicality. Tara and Mickie locked in an interesting leg submission move, but Earl Hebner gets the pinfall for Rayne. He basically helps them pick up the victory.
What I Disliked:
I really do not get the point of having the finish like this. It did nothing for the champion, did not do anything to progress a storyline that is meaningful. I wanted to see a little more from the Knockouts in terms of ring competition. I just left this match thinking, "what is there to gain out of it?" When I think back about these four, there may not be a lot of creativity to build on. Would it be time to impliment newer Knockouts, or stick with the veterans? There are many questions to ask.
Grade: C
